Wall-bed spring-counterbalance.



N. B. DOUGLASS. WALL BED SPRING COUNTERBALIANCE.

v APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. ms.

1,295,449, Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESSES NAPOLEON B. DOUGLASS, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

WALL-BED SPRING-COUNTERBALANCE.

neaaaae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed May 27, 1915. Serial 1%. 80,798.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NAPOLEON B. DOUG- LASS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley., in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wall-Bed Spring- Counterbalances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wall beds, and pertains especially to a spring balance there- The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical, compact counterbalancing means, especially designed for use with wall beds, or beds or other devices which are horizontally pivoted and adapted to be moved from a horizontal to a vertical position, and vice versa. Among the especial objects of the invention are: to design a spring counter-balance which at all times will be completely out of the way; which will be out of sight particularly when the bed is horizontal; which will be within the frame of the bed; which will permit the bed to be so fulcrumed when the bed is down that there will be no possibility of the bed j frame tipping up accidentally; which will provide for adjustability of the springs so as to vary the tension; which will provide lightness and compactness for shipping and for the further advantage of reduclng the.

' turning support and yet provides sufficient room for the vertical movements of the'bed. There are other objects and advantages which will'be apparent hereinafter.

Having reference to the drawings Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of the head of the bed.

Fig. 2 is a. detail view of the carrying mechanism.

1 Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of same.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the journal bearing.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the fulcrum shaft.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the pin carryin bracket.

Fig. is a detail perspective of the bed carrying bracket.

A represents a reversible panel of the character shown in my prior Patent #1,006,068, dated October 17, 1911, and so mounted on arms as 2, as to swing through an arc of 180 degrees, carrying a bed frame 3 with it. I

Ihe present invention pertains especially to the mounting of the bed 3 on the panel A so as to counter-balance the bed in a swinging position from vertical to horizontal. I desire to have it understood that while'this bed mounting and counter-balancehas been especially designed for use in conjunction with a swinging panel or support as A, manifestly, the invention is not limited to any particular kind of support, reversible or otherwise. In practice, these beds are made this way and so I describe them.

The bed mounting comprises a pair of brackets 4, secured to the support or door A on each side of the bed; each bracket having an upwardly extending portion 5 with a vertically extending reversely curved guide slot 6 forming a cam groove for a roller projection 7 on a side bar-of the bed frame 3. The projecting pin 7 forms part of a bracket 8 secured to a side bar adjacent to the head end of the bed frame; it being understood that there is one of these brackets 8 with the pin 7 on each side of the bed, as there is one pin for each guide slot 6. Cooperating with pins 7 and guide slot 6 are a pair of supporting fulcrum links 9, the lower ends of which are. fulcrumed. at 10 to the brackets 4, the upper ends being secured to the fulcrum shaft 11, which extends across beneath the bed frame and just behind the rollers 7, and which shaft 11 has its ends journaled in boxes 12 on the side barsof the bed frame. A convenient method of attachment of the links 9 to the fulcrum shaft 11 is to contract the upper ends of the links 9, as shown in Fig. 5, and pass them through slots in shaft 11 looking the projecting ends by means of cotter pins 13; the cotter pins and projectin ends of links 9 being contained within a depression or pocket l t at the top of the fulcrum shaft 11. 15 are helical torsion-springs surrounding the ends of the shaft 11 inside the bed frame, with one end of the springs'adjustably anchoredby a stop collar 16 to the shaft; the other end an'choredto the bed frame by engaging the hooked end 17 of the spring with a projecting lug-.18 of the journal box 12.

In order to prevent binding of the'springs with the bar, the outer'end' of each spring passes over a complementary segmental extension 20, Fig. 4 on thesleeve box 12 approximate toits connection with the lugs 18; the segmental'projections 20 keeping the springs out of frictional contact with the shaft 11. The inner adjacent ends of the springs 15 engage with stops or lugs 21 on the sleeves 16, which latter are provided with hexagonal surfaces for engagement with a wrench, and are perforated as at 22 to permit pin 23 to pass therethrough and through corresponding perforations 24: in shaft 11. By means of the pins and perforations and 'turnable collar 16 a nice adjustment of the springs can be effected after the bed is'se't up so as to adjust the springs to the w ght to be carried to produce a more perfect counter-balance than if no such adjustment were afforded.

The inner end of the bed frameis preferably provided with a folding head board 26 and link connections 27 similarly as shown in my Patent #991,771, May 9th, 1911, cooperating with the head board automatically on the raising and lowering of the bed frame. V

In operation the parts being assembled as described and the tension adjusted and the bed frame standing in upright position as in Fig. 2, all that is necessary to bring the bed into horizontal dotted line position shown in said Fig. 2 is for the operator simply to take hold ofthe "upper foot end of the bed and pull it downward. The'entire weight of the bed is carried on the links 9 and the guiding and control of the bed is effected through the engagement of the pins 7 with the guide .slot 6 the guide slot 6 being so curved as to'allow the bed to swing slightly-downward;' as it is pulled down,

the fulcrum-"of the bed, represented by the fulcrum shaft 11" andthe links 9'swinging out correspondingly to give clearance. This construction enables the fulcrum tofbe put in close to'the sup'port A, andf by bringing "the fulcru'm'and pin 7e10se together the bed is prevented against accidental upward collapse. The general combination of the torsion spring, shaft 11, links and guide slots provides the advantages and accomplishes the objects hereinbefore set forth.

The mounting of the rod or fulcrum shaft 11 on links 9 and the pivoting of the bed frame on the shaft provides a floating fulcrum; by the method of mounting the torsion springs on the shaft, the counter-balancing is not interfered with by the various changes in position assumed by the floating fulcrum.

It will be manifest that various changes in details of construction may be efie'cted without varying the principle of the invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is.-

1. In a counter-balancing means for beds, consisting in the combination of a bed frame, a pair of bed frame carrying links pivoted at one end, a fulcrum shaft rigidly.

supported on the links and upon which the bed is turnable in a vertical plane, torsion springs surrounding the fulcrum shaft and having one end connected with the bed frame, and the other end provided with anchorages on the shaft, the connectionsbetween the springs and bed frame comprising lugs 011 the bed frame for the springs to engage, and sleeve members rigid with the bed frame extending beneath the adjacent ends of the springs to keep the springs out of binding contact with the shaft.

2-. In a folding bed, a bed frame, links pivoted at their lower ends, a shaft rigidly connected to the upper ends of the links, a

, associated with the last named means to prevent the spring from binding on the shaft.

3. In a folding bed,-a bed frame, swinging links, a shaft rigidly connected to the upper ends of the links, a spring on the shafthaving connection therewith at one end, a bearing connected to the bed frame and turnably receiving one end of the shaft, means onsaid bearing to engage the other end of the spring, and an extension on the bearing interposed between said last named end of the spring andthe shaft.

at. In a folding bed, a bed frame, a

floating means rigidly supporting the shaft and located between the shaft 'ends'so'jas to leave the latter free, springs surrounding the shaft and connected thereto at'their 'ininer ends, bearings connected to the bed frame and turnably engaged with "said free ends of the shafts, meens on the bearings ex- In testimony whereof I have hereunt set tending inwardly toward and engaged with my hand in the presence of two subscribing the outer ends of the springs, and means witnesses.

on the bearings extending over the free shaft NAPOLEON B. DOUGLASS. 5 ends and interposed between the latter and Witnesses: the outer ends of the springsto prevent HARRY B. STEARNS,

the letter from binding on the shaft. HARRY P. THOMAS.

Copies of this intent may be obteined for fiveeents eacli, bf addressing the "Coimflisioner at intent Waphflnflm, D. Q. 

